Chad Pennington had a great season. He is definitely an above average quarterback, who frequently displays pinpoint accuracy and a deft touch on his throws. He is a high character guy, a great leader, and as tough as nails. He can take a team into the Playoffs.
Today, when asked to carry his team on his back against an elite defense and to make tough throws into traffic, he got picked off four times as his team was handily defeated. This is the story of his career. He showed once again that he is not capable of taking a team all the way by himself. Brett Favre is, even if he failed to do so in 2008. That is why the Jets made the trade. That is why it was a good trade. At the end of the day, the difference between missing the Playoffs and going home early is not THAT great, especially after a four decade wait for a championship.